3 Changes on the Horizon for Precision Medicine

Topics

Precision medicine is quickly moving from the research phase to clinical application. The science of using genes, proteins, and environmental information to provide personalized patient treatment isn’t a new one, but technology is finally catching up to speculation.

IMCS is a biotechnology company helping to advance the science of precision medicine. Our groundbreaking IMCStips are designed to produce consistent, repeatable results within the proteomics field, and we’re proud to say they’re being used in research laboratories all over the country.

Here are three impending changes on the horizon for the science of precision medicine.

The real cancer breakthroughs.

The most visible arena in which precision medicine is spurring optimism is in cancer treatment. Breast cancer treatment and prevention, in particular, has utilized multigene testing panels for years to detect BRCA 1, BRCA2, and (HER)2 genes, all of which can predispose a woman to developing the disease. The next frontier in precision medicine for cancer treatment lies in better detection and understanding of driver mutations, and their connections to individuals. Clinical trials are ongoing that test the efficacy of prevention therapies to “disrupt” these potential aberrations in the long-term.

A shift in clinical trial procedure.

The proliferation of precision medicine is leading to increasingly specific clinical trials. In fact, many large-scale trials are now run concurrently with “n of 1” trials, which are essentially one-person trials. By testing a particular drug on an individual with known genetic propensities for response and comparing that data with the other testing populations’, scientists can better understand how genetic mutations ultimately effect the outcome of the trial itself. By eventually eliminating non-responders from trials, the result is something called “predictive enrichment,” a boon for research and drug companies alike.

Biobanks created a shared database of disease.

Precision medicine is creating almost unfathomable amounts of data at a breakneck pace. Until recently, the study of this data was afforded far more resources than the organization of the data itself. A handful of forward-thinking organizations are working hard to consolidate what data exists (i.e. anonymous individual genetic data, results of obscure clinical trials, identification of specific mutations, etc.) and create shared databases for researchers all over the world to reference. One such database, the National Institute of Health’s “All of Us” initiative, actually aims to link environmental data such as smoking habits, exercise, and even municipal water cleanliness with scientific data to provide a more comprehensive picture for researchers.

IMCStips are an advanced solid phase extraction technology. Designed to accelerate the understanding of protein functions and discovery biomarkers, IMCStips use a patented technology (dispersive pipette extraction) to enhance sample preparation. Through IMCStips, automation results in consistently high recoveries.

Proteomics relies on rapid protein peptide identification. IMCS is proud to have created a product that removes sampling barriers and encourages more efficient downstream studies. Would you like to find out more about how IMCStips can improve your discovery process?